Read the new interview with L. E. A. on VLVmag - you'll love it!
– L. E. A., tell us about your childhood: hobbies and dreams. When did you realize that you want to become a singer? Why did you decide to connect your life with music?
– I grew up with my mom in a small town in Norway. The first time I realised I wanted to be a singer I was around 4 years old, when my dad gave me Mariah Carey’s single ‘Dreamlover’. I remember looking at the cover of the single thinking how gorgeous this woman was, and not quite understanding how it was possible to make such beautiful sounds come out of a human mouth. I played that song on repeat for weeks and instantly started dreaming of making music myself. I used to put on shows at home where I would pretend to be one of the Spice Girls or Britney Spears and dance around with costumes on. I also had a strong cat obsession. I still do. Kittens are so cute they make me cry.
L. E. A. in childhood, photo © L.E.A.Official
– Why L.E.A.?
– My name is Lea. I have many names, but Lea is one of my first names and I like spelling it like L.E.A. because it makes it look more powerful, like a statement. Sometimes people pronounce my name wrong, so by spelling it out you can’t go wrong right?
– Tell us about your new song ‘Queen in A Castle’. What is it about? What led you to write this song? Usually, musicians devote their songs to someone, are you an exception or not?
– ‘Queen in a Castle’ came to me one day after my best friend left for the airport. I sent her off in a taxi and sat down in my kitchen when I was overcome by a feeling to write something. The song just poured out of me in a couple of hours, but the concept of the track was something I had been thinking about for a few months. This is my High Value Woman anthem. I believe one of the most important qualities we can have is to know our worth. To know that our value is not diminished by how other people see us or treat us. However, it is a constant that we need to remember to honor even when we are being treated unfairly.
I think most of us have found ourselves in a situation like this at one time or another, including me. What I love about this track is that it does not come from a place of sadness. It comes from a place of strength and knowing your worth. If the person you are with is unable to see that then it might be time to move on to the next one. This track is meant to be empowering if you find yourself in a less-than-ideal relationship. In addition, if they don’t treat you right then it is time to go out and find someone who will. It is better to be happy on your own than unhappy with someone else.
‘Queen in a Castle’
– Your most famous tracks at this moment are «The Contract» and «FLICK». What are these songs about? Why do you think people like them?
– ‘The Contract’ is a letter to the music industry. It is about how the industry is so focused on the monetary gain and tends to take the rights of an unsuspecting artist only to leave the artist with nothing – even artists who have sold millions have been left with nothing. That is not right to me. This track is about keeping full control and ownership of your business, and not believing someone can ‘make you famous’ just because they say so. It is about putting the work in, being smart and not being naïve or misled by an industry that can easily to prey on lifelong dreams.
I wrote ‘FLICK’ when I was miserable. I remember waking up every morning feeling as if I wasn’t good enough. Everything felt like an uphill battle and I just felt depressed and anxious all the time. ‘FLICK’ helped me find some strength in that hopeless state so I could believe in myself a little bit more. It is a song I wrote to cheer myself up a little bit, so that I was able to stand tall, be sassy and speak up for myself even when I felt small and insignificant. I think this feeling resonates with many people, and I think these are feelings we tend to keep to ourselves. It is hard to be vulnerable and say aloud that we are unhappy and don’t feel good enough. This song speaks to that part of the mind and heart – but in an empowering way that can propel you forward.
Shooting the ‘Flick’ clip, photo © L.E.A.Official
– In addition, a few words about music videos for these songs... Tell us about the idea of creation and clip's stories.
– The idea for the visuals for ‘FLICK’ just came to me one day when I saw the black and white jumpsuit that I used in the video. I wanted the visuals to be very clean but striking, and I wanted it to reflect strength and girl power. When I explained this to my videographer, he absolutely understood my concept and elevated it to the next level by implementing lights and sequences that could bring the vision to life.
– Tell us about your creative team, who helps you to create music that is adored by thousands of listeners?
– I work with lots of different producers for my beats. All the tracks on my EP ‘Good Girl Syndrome’ have the same producer, but the rest of my tracks have different producers for the instrumentals. Sazrah produced the beat for ‘Queen in a Castle’ and she was a joy to work with. I write all my lyrics myself because it is my therapy. I love working with various producers around the globe, because it brings a different kind of energy to each project.
L.E.A. in the video clip ‘Contract’, photo © Amoroso Films
– Do you like to travel? What place on Earth impressed you the most?
– I love travelling! However, when I first visited London, I felt more at home than I ever had anywhere else – so I moved there! Since moving to London I became a bit of a homebody and haven’t travelled for pleasure as much as I used to. That is because I don’t have the same urge to ‘get away’ from where I am. I am so happy in this city. I love the diversity of people, the freedom, the fashion and the creativity. Now my #1 travel destination is to go home to Norway to see my mom. I miss her so much. I would love to go to Brazil and Saint Petersburg though, I have never been!
– What about the environment in Great Britain? What do you think should be done to make everything perfect?
– 2020 has been an extraordinarily strange year of global change and uproar. I believe we have been given an opportunity to shift society by standing together and fighting for what is right. All as one.
– The main difference between you this year and several years ago is:
– I like myself more now than I did several years ago. I used to feel small and insecure before, like I had to be ‘someone else’ for people to like me – someone who was more confident, more outgoing and louder than I am naturally. Now I am more comfortable in my own skin and able to see my strengths and use them for what they are. I am also ok with being kind of introverted and quiet in social situations, which used to bother me a lot before. Now I try to just relax and go with the flow instead of forcing myself to be someone I’m not.
L.E.A. in the video clip ‘Queen In A Castle’, photo © L.E.A.Official
– Are you self-critical person?
– Absolutely. It is something I try to work on every day, but truly, it has also helped me improve myself and push myself further than I thought I could. However, I try to be gentler and kinder to myself on a daily basis.
– What are the main goals in your life? Tell us about your creative and life plans for the future.
– I just want to make music that someone can relate to and feel empowered by. My greatest joy is when someone listens to my song and find their own story in it – and feel stronger after listening to it. Music is so powerful when it comes to spreading light and building connections between people. It brings me the greatest pleasure and is my therapy as well. Sometime in the future I will also put out a clothing collection, but it is far in the future. I love fashion. A lot of the designs are ready, but it won’t pop off until further down the path of my career in music. My main goal, and life purpose as far as I am concerned, is to spread some light by making music. It’s as simple as that. This is a delight and a privilege I will always enjoy.
